The more ultra-processed foods that we consume, the greater our risk of cancer, a long-term study shows.

RT   18 Feb, 2018

The more ultra-processed foods that we consume, the greater our risk of cancer, a long-term study shows.

For the first time, researchers have explored the link between cancer and ultra-processed foods, which include chicken nuggets, packaged cakes, ready meals, fizzy drinks, chocolate, instant noodles and reconstituted meat products. A team at the Universite Sorbonne Paris Cite published the study in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) on Wednesday. They found consuming ultra-processed food is associated with a higher risk of cancer.

The results showed that a 10 percent increase in the consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with a 12 percent risk of overall cancer, and an 11 percent increased risk of breast cancer specifically.